Neuro-Affirming Approach: Focus on Identity, Not Deficit

A paradigm that honors neurobiological differences from a human rights and identity perspective instead of 'fixing' individuals according to neurotypical standards.

What is the Neuro-Affirming Approach?

The Neuro-Affirming approach sees autism, ADHD, and other neurological differences not as 'disorders' that need to be treated, but as natural and valuable parts of human diversity. As Damla Kuduoğlu often emphasizes, the sentence 'I am not broken, my brain works differently' forms the core of this approach.

Instead of encouraging the individual to mimic (mask) social skills to resemble neurotypicals, this view advocates for the individual to recognize their own authentic self and for the environment to be arranged according to these needs. If a child does not make eye contact, accepting that not making eye contact is a sensory regulation method for that child—rather than forcing them to do so—is a neuro-affirming step.